Self-powered heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A heat transferring apparatus may employ a heat exchanger with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and be coupled to a power exchange unit, which employs a driving fan fluid inlet, a series of inner fan blades to receive the fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet, and a rotable driving fan unit. The inner fan blades are attached to the rotable driving fan unit along with driving magnets. A rotatable driven fan unit has numerous outer fan blades and a series of imbedded driven magnets. The fluid drives the inner fan blades and flows into the heat exchanger. The outer fan blades force air through the heat exchanger and cools the fluid. A power transfer wall located between the inner magnets and the outer magnets transfers magnetic fields from the inner magnets to the outer magnets to impart rotation in the driven fan unit and outer fan blades.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/538,520 filed on Aug. 10, 2009. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to cooling liquid with a heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. Devices for cooling liquids are known; however, such devices are not without their share of limitations. Traditional refrigeration systems may be used to cool a liquid, which may need to be cooled for any one of a variety of reasons. In one example of a traditional refrigeration system, an external source or supply of energy, such as electricity, must be utilized to drive a compressor, for example, of the refrigeration system that circulates a refrigerant such as R-132. In another example of a traditional refrigeration system, the compressor may be mechanically driven instead of electrically driven. In such a mechanically driven system, a belt or a gear mechanism may be used to transfer power from a driving shaft an internal combustion engine to the compressor. What is needed then is a cooling device that does not suffer from the above limitations.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. An apparatus for transferring heat may employ a heat exchanger with a heat exchanger inlet that receives a fluid into a radiator and a heat exchanger outlet that discharges the fluid from the radiator. The device may further employ a power exchange unit that employs a driving fan fluid inlet, a plurality of inner fan blades to receive the fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet, and a rotable driving fan unit. Moreover, the inner fan blades may be attached to the rotable driving fan unit along with a plurality of driving magnets. A rotatable driven fan unit may have numerous outer fan blades attached to it along with a series of driven magnets. The heat exchanger may be attached to the power exchange unit so as to be able to transfer fluid. The fluid drives the inner fan blades and flows into the heat exchanger. The outer fan blades may force air through the heat exchanger by pushing the air in a first direction, or by pulling air through the heat exchanger in an opposite direction.

The power transfer wall may be cylindrical or drum-shaped and be located between the inner driving magnets and the outer opposing magnets. When the inner driving magnets rotate in the driving fan unit, the polarity arrangement of the inner driving magnets relative to the outer opposing magnets transfer a magnetic field to impart rotation in the driven fan unit within which the outer opposing magnets reside. That largest outside diameter of the driven fan may be larger than the largest outside diameter of the power transfer wall. The heat exchanger inlet may be located in a geometric center or other location of the heat exchanger to facilitate an overall package size that is as small as possible.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle depicting a location of a fuel system of an internal combustion engine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fuel system employing a power exchange unit and heat exchanger;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a power exchange unit and heat exchanger;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the power exchange unit of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is front view of the heat exchanger depicting an example fluid flow path through the heat exchanger; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of a heat exchanger.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to FIGS. 1-6 of the accompanying drawings. Turning first to FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 may employ an engine 12 within an engine compartment 14. Engine 12 may be either a gasoline engine or a diesel engine and operate, on gasoline or diesel fuel, respectfully, that is stored in a fuel tank 16 and pumped through a fuel delivery line 18 by a fuel pump 20 within a fuel pump module 22.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a fuel system schematic 24 depicts an overview of components playing a role in delivering fuel to and from engine 12. Although the teachings of the present invention are applicable to engines employing gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, etc., an engine employing diesel fuel will be used in conjunction with the description. Additionally, the teachings of the invention are applicable to non-fuel applications, as may be mentioned throughout this description. For instance, the teachings are applicable to cooling a variety of fluids, including non-fuels. Continuing, fuel pump 20 within fuel pump module 22 may pump liquid fuel, such as diesel fuel, from fuel tank 16, through fuel delivery line 18 and to fuel injection pump 26 as depicted with arrow 27. Fuel injection pump 26 pressurizes fuel to a requisite fuel pressure in preparation for injecting such pressurized fuel into combustion chambers of engine 12 for combustion. When engine 12 is running, because fuel pump 20 may operate at a speed in excess of that required to pump and deliver the maximum volume of fuel required by engine 12, a fuel return line 28 is included as part of the fuel system, as depicted in fuel system schematic 24, to return unused fuel to fuel tank 16. More specifically, fuel return line 28 returns non-combusted fuel from fuel injection pump 26 to fuel tank 16 as indicated with arrow 30. More specifically, fuel return line 28 may be divided into two portions, pre heat exchanger line 32 and post heat exchanger line 34, with power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36 located anywhere between pre heat exchanger line 32 and post heat exchanger line 34, for example, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, pre heat exchanger line 32 delivers fuel, as indicated with arrow 30, from fuel injection pump 26 to power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36, while post heat exchanger line 34 delivers fuel, as indicated with arrow 38, from power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36 to fuel tank 16.

Turning now with reference including FIGS. 3 and 4, a first embodiment of power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36 will be described. While liquid fuel is being used as a primary fluid in description of power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36, liquids that are not fuels are capable of being utilized. Continuing, upon excess fuel leaving fuel injection pump 26, liquid fuel travels through pre heat exchanger tube 32 until it reaches inlet 40 of power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36. Upon liquid fuel reaching inlet 40, the fuel temperature may be 40 to 90 degrees Centigrade, depending upon the ambient conditions and vehicle use. As an example, if vehicle 10 is residing on black asphalt on a day in which the ambient temperature is 35 degrees C., and engine 12 is idling, engine compartment 14 may reach a temperature of approximately 80 degrees C.

Upon fuel entering power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36 at fuel inlet 40, the fuel contacts inner fan blades 44, also known as internal fan blades, which are angled relative to the direction of fuel striking blades 44, causing inner fan blades 44 to rotate in clockwise direction 46, for example, which imparts clockwise rotation in circular driving fan unit 48 within which inner driving magnets 50 (inner driving members) are located. Inner fan blades 44 of driving fan unit 48 may each have a leading edge and a trailing edge so that blades 44 rotate when struck with a moving fluid. Thus, driving fan unit 48 and inner fan blades 44 rotate at the same speed that is directly proportional to the speed of the return liquid fuel flowing in pre heat exchanger line 32. That is, the faster the fuel flows in pre heat exchanger line 32, the faster inner fan blades 44 spin because inner fan blades 44 and driving fan unit 48, which holds magnets 50, are in the flow path of liquid fuel and contact liquid fuel. Because magnets emit or create a magnetic field about them, a magnetic field is created through power transfer wall 52, which is stationary and does not rotate. The magnetic field created by inner driving magnets 50 reaches outer opposing magnets 56 (outer opposing members) residing within the inside diameter of driven fan 54. In one example, inner driving magnets 50 have a different polarity than outer opposing magnets 56 to cause their attraction to each other such that one or more outer opposing magnets 56 will move in the same direction when one or more inner driving magnets 50 move. Because the driven fan 54 is free to float (not contact) and rotate around the power transfer wall 52, outer opposing magnets 56 are repelled by the magnetic force of inner driving magnets 50 which imparts rotation in driven fan 54. Outer opposing magnets 56 may be imbedded within a driven fan unit 58 that rotates around and next to power transfer wall 52.

In a variation of the structure presented above, inner driving magnets 50 may instead be attracted to steel or iron plates substituted in locations of outer opposing magnets 56 in driven fan 54. Thus, inner driving magnets 50 may magnetically couple to steel or iron plates, in place of outer opposing magnets 50, to drive driven fan 54. Such an arrangement presents a lower cost option than using outer opposing magnets 56 and inner driving magnets 50.

In yet another variation of the structures presented above, steel or iron plates may be substituted in locations of inner driving magnets 50. With such an arrangement, outer opposing magnets 56 may instead be attracted to such steel or iron plates as driving fan unit 48 rotates. Thus, outer opposing magnets 56 may magnetically couple to steel or iron plates in place of inner driving magnets 50 to drive driven fan 54. Such an arrangement presents a lower cost option than using outer opposing magnets 56 and inner driving magnets 50.

When driven fan 54 begins to rotate clockwise, in accordance with arrow 46, because driving fan unit 48 is rotating clockwise, fan blades 60 also rotate clockwise. Fan blades may have a leading edge 61 and a trailing edge 63 to force air into heat exchanger 66. As driven fan 54 rotates clockwise, because fan blades are angled, air is drawn between fan blades 60, such as in gaps 62 defined between neighboring or adjacent fan blades 60 and completely through driven fan 54, as depicted in FIG. 3 with airflow 64. Upon airflow 64 passing through driven fan 54, airflow 64 passes across or through a heat exchanger 66.

In an alternate embodiment, instead of airflow 64 passing in the direction noted in FIG. 3 when “pushed” by driven fan 54 as driven fan 54 turns in a first direction, such as clockwise, driven fan 54 may turn in the opposite direction, such as counter-clockwise and airflow 65 may be “pulled” through heat exchanger 66. If airflow 65 is to be pulled through heat exchanger 66, fluid inlet 40 may become a fluid outlet 41, and fluid outlet 78 may become a fluid inlet 79. Thus, to pull air through heat exchanger 66, inner fan blades 44 receive fluid from a side of inner fan blades 44 to invoke such a counter-clockwise rotation in inner fan blades 44 to thereby invoke such a counter-clockwise rotation in driven fan unit 58 and driven fan blades 60 via inner driving members 50 (e.g. magnets) and outer opposing members 56 (e.g. magnets).

With reference to FIG. 5, heat exchanger 66 may be similar to a traditional heat exchanger, such as a radiator that fluidly couples to an internal combustion engine, in that heat exchanger 66 has a series of tubes 68 that form a path about the heat exchanger to maximize the distance that liquid fuel has to travel within heat exchanger 66 while also gaining the benefit of air passing over an exterior of metal tubes within which liquid fuel flows. An aspect of heat exchanger 66 that enhances its use with power exchange unit 70 is that inlet 40 may connect couple or fasten directly to heat exchanger 66. Power exchange unit 70 may also connect, couple or fasten to heat exchanger 66, such as with power transfer wall 52 of power exchange unit 70. Continuing, heat exchanger 66 may also be mounted to power exchange unit 70 by directly welding an outside perimeter or outside surface of heat exchanger 66 to power exchange unit 70. More specifically, heat exchanger 66 and power transfer wall 52 may connect or fasten to each other about their geometric centers 72 and 74, respectively. The power exchange unit 70 may entail all of the items depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, and together with heat exchanger 66, may form power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36.

As depicted in FIG. 5, when liquid fuel enters heat exchanger 66 at heat exchanger inlet 76, the heated or warmed liquid fuel (or any liquid other than fuel), relative to its temperature upon exiting heat exchanger outlet 78, may be routed through heat exchanger 66 in tubes 68 until the cooled liquid, relative to its temperature upon entering heat exchanger 66, exits heat exchanger 66 at outlet 78.

Turning now to FIG. 6, another embodiment of the invention is depicted. More specifically, heat exchanger 80 is generally equipped with power exchange unit 70 and driven fan 54, both of which are generally the same as described above and depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, and a tube-in-tube heat exchanger 67. However, differences exist between the device depicted in FIGS. 3-4 and the device of FIG. 6. Continuing, power transfer wall 52 of power exchange unit 70 may be connected or fastened to the air cone 82 or air concentrator 82, such as with fasteners or by welding. The air cone 82 may have a circular air receiving end 84 that may be larger than an air exit end 86, which may also be circular. Air receiving end 84 receives air and may be located against driven fan 54 (assuming driven fan 54 is equipped with a protective frame against which receiving end 84 may abut) or receiving end 84 may be located immediately adjacent or immediately next to driven fan 54 such that only a minimal amount of clearance lies between receiving end and driven fan 54. A minimal amount of clearance (e.g. a gap) would be one in which no appreciable amount of air could escape between driven fan 54 and receiving end 84 of air cone 82. Continuing with FIG. 6, airflow 88 is drawn into and through fan blades 60 (FIG. 4) of driven fan 54 and into air cone 82. Upon airflow 88 entering air cone 82, airflow 88 becomes increasingly a converging airflow 90 whose velocity increases upon passing into air cone 82 until airflow 90 reaches outer air tube 92 to become airflow 94 which may become relatively stable in velocity throughout outer air tube 92. Once in outer air tube 92, airflow 94 is free to move around an outside diameter of inner fuel tube 98 before becoming warmed airflow 96 that passes through holes 100 in air tube 92.

Continuing with FIG. 6, airflow 88, which becomes converging airflow 90, which becomes a warmed airflow 94, may escape from air tube 92 via holes. The airflow 94 is warmed relative to airflow 88 and becomes warmed because liquid fuel 102 that flows within inner fuel tube 98 transfers heat through the wall of inner fuel tube 98. Thus, the temperature of a liquid fuel 102 flowing within inner fuel tube 98 is greater than that of airflow 88, 90 if heat is to be transferred to airflow 94.

While air tube 92 may have an end 104 which may be governed in accordance with the degree of cooling to be provided to the liquid fuel 102 flowing within inner fuel tube 98. Upon air tube 92 ending, post heat exchanger line 34 will proceed to deliver cooled liquid fuel to tank 16. Air cone 82, air tube 92, inner fuel tube 98 and holes 100 form and act as a heat exchanger 67.

Another structural feature that may reside within air cone 82, is a turbulence producing device. One example of a turbulence producing device are air nodules 83 (e.g. raised semi-hemispherical pieces) located on an inside diameter of air cone 82. Air nodules 83 may change airflow from laminar to turbulent or make turbulent airflow even more turbulent. Making airflow 94 turbulent through air tube 94 and around inner fuel tube 98 will hasten cooling of the liquid within inner fuel tube 98. Another example of a device to hasten turbulent airflow is deflector 85 within air cone 82. Deflector 85 may be a ring welded or otherwise connected or attached to an outside diameter of tube 98. Alternatively deflector 85 may be a bent or straight bar or flange to interrupt airflow 90 through air cone 94 and hasten turbulent airflow through tube 98.

Stated in slightly different terms, an apparatus for transferring heat may have a heat exchanger 66, such as a radiator, having a heat exchanger inlet 76 that receives a fluid into the heat exchanger and a heat exchanger outlet 78 that discharges the fluid from the radiator. The apparatus may also have a power exchange unit 70 with a driving fan fluid inlet 40, a plurality of inner fan blades 44 to receive fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet 40, a rotable driving fan unit 48, the plurality of inner fan blades 44 attached to the rotable driving fan unit 48, a plurality of driving magnets 50 attached to or imbedded in the rotatable driving fan unit 48; a rotatable driven fan unit 58 may employ a plurality of outer fan blades 60 attached to the rotatable driven fan unit 58 while a quantity of driven magnets 56 (outer opposing members) may be attached to or imbedded in the rotatable driven fan unit 58. The heat exchanger 66 is attached to the power exchange unit 70, such as with traditional fasteners or by welding. The apparatus may also employ a power transfer wall, which may be cylindrical or tubular and be located between the plurality of inner driving magnets and the plurality of outer opposing magnets.

Power transfer wall 52 may serve to transfer power, or magnetic fields, from the inner driving magnets 50 to the plurality of outer opposing magnets 56. The overall outside diameter of the driven fan 54 may be larger than the outside diameter of the power transfer wall 52 (FIG. 3) so that air may be drawn into and forced through the heat exchanger 66 by the outer fan blades 60. The force of the return fluid (e.g. liquid fuel) from fuel injection pump 26 imparts rotation in the inner fan blades 44, driving fan unit 48 and inner driving magnets 50, which in turn, with a magnetic field of inner driving magnets 50 passing through power transfer wall 52, imparts a rotation in driven fan unit 58, outer opposing magnets 56 and thus fan blades 60. The same fluid (e.g. fuel) that drives the inner fan blades 44 flows into the heat exchanger 66. Thus, the fluid that is cooled, is used to drive an air fan to cool the fluid. Heat exchanger inlet 76 for the fluid may be located in a geometric center 74 of heat exchanger 66.

Power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36 is applicable to a variety of applications in which heat transfer from one fluid (liquid or gas) to another fluid (liquid or gas) is desired. Thus, the teachings of the present invention are not limited to an automotive application; however, an automotive application is presented in conjunction with the teachings. In an automotive or truck application for cooling liquid fuel, the power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36 may be located under the vehicle (e.g. between a road surface and floorboards of a vehicle) in the return fuel line 32, 34 between the vehicle's front engine firewall and fuel tank 16.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “engaged to”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to”, “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for transferring heat from a fluid, the apparatus comprising: a tube-in-tube heat exchanger that contains the fluid; a power exchange unit comprising a driving fan unit and a driven fan unit, the driving fan unit further comprising: a plurality of inner fan blades angled for rotation upon being struck by the fluid; and a plurality of inner driving members; the driven fan unit further comprising: a plurality of outer fan blades angled for rotation to cause airflow through the heat exchanger; and a plurality of outer opposing driven members; and a cylindrical power transfer wall that prevents the fluid striking the plurality of inner fan blades from flowing outside of the cylindrical power transfer wall; wherein a magnetic force from one of the plurality of inner driving members or the plurality of outer opposing driven members, imparts rotation to the plurality of outer opposing driven members.
 2. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 1, wherein the tube-in-tube heat exchanger further defines a plurality of holes in an exterior wall to permit the air to exit from the heat exchanger.
 3. An apparatus for transferring heat from a fluid, the apparatus comprising: a tube-in-tube heat exchanger comprising: a heat exchanger inlet that receives the fluid into the heat exchanger; and a heat exchanger outlet that discharges the fluid from the heat exchanger; a power exchange unit comprising: a driving fan fluid inlet; a plurality of inner fan blades receiving fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet; a rotatable driving fan unit, the plurality of inner fan blades attached to the rotatable driving fan unit; a plurality of driving magnets attached to the rotatable driving fan unit; a rotatable driven fan unit, a plurality of outer fan blades attached to the rotatable driven fan unit; and a plurality of driven magnets attached to the rotatable driven fan unit; wherein the tube-in-tube heat exchanger is attached to the power exchange unit to receive the fluid.
 4. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 3, wherein a power transfer wall is cylindrical and is located between the plurality of driving magnets and the plurality of driven magnets.
 5. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 4, wherein an inside diameter of the rotatable driven fan unit is larger than an outside diameter of the power transfer wall and the rotatable driven fan unit and the power transfer wall are concentric.
 6. An apparatus for transferring heat from a fluid, the apparatus comprising: a power exchange unit comprising: a driving fan fluid inlet; a plurality of inner fan blades receiving the fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet; a rotatable driving fan unit, the plurality of inner fan blades attached to the rotatable driving fan unit; a plurality of driving magnets attached to the rotatable driving fan unit; a rotatable driven fan unit, a plurality of outer fan blades attached to the rotatable driven fan unit; a plurality of driven magnets attached to the rotatable driven fan unit, wherein, a tube-in-tube heat exchanger is directly attached to the power exchange unit; and a driving fan fluid outlet; wherein the rotatable driven fan unit is positioned to blow air through the heat exchanger.
 7. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 6, wherein a power transfer wall is cylindrical and is located between the plurality of driving magnets and the plurality of driven magnets.
 8. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 7, wherein an inside diameter of the driven fan is larger than an outside diameter of the power transfer wall.
 9. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 8, the tube-in-tube heat exchanger further comprising: a heat exchanger inner tube directly coupled to the driving fan fluid outlet; a heat exchanger air tube surrounding the heat exchanger inner tube and defining an air gap therebetween; an air cone with an air receiving end and an air discharging end, the air discharging end coupled to the heat exchanger tube to discharge air into the air gap; and a turbulence producing device located inside the air cone.
 10. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 9, wherein: the plurality of outer fan blades force air into the air receiving end of the air cone and into the heat exchanger air tube; the heat exchanger inner tube receives the fluid; and a heat exchanger outlet that discharges the fluid from the tube-in-tube heat exchanger.
 11. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 10, wherein: the air cone is a frustum of a cone; the heat exchanger air tube defines a plurality of exit holes for escape of the air from the gap. 